PAK –IRAN GAS PIPELINE NOT POSSIBLE

PAK –IRAN GAS PIPELINE IS NOT POSSIBLE

DUE TO US CURTAIL

The works on a pipeline to import gas from Iran cannot proceed because of sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union on Tehran.

For the Iran side billion dollars project is almost complete, but Pakistan has run into  repeated problems paying for the 780 kilometer section to be built on its side of the border.

Iran has the second largest gas reserves in the world but has  been strangled by a Western embargo that has seen its crude exports halved in the past year. In this regards, the US had earlier warned that the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline line project would risk triggering sanctions aimed at Iran. This project is affected by the sanctions imposed by the US.

Iran is committed to this gas agreement but until Pakistan has not officially relayed its stance we cannot react and make a decision.

The long delayed pipeline that would link the two neighbours was planned to ease Pakistan’s chronic gas shortages.

Iran currently produces around 600 million cubic meters of gas per day almost all of which is consumed domestically due to lack of exports. It is only foreign client is Turkey, which buys about 30 million cubic meters of gas per day.

Pakistan has severe gas crisis as natural as supply to homes and factories almost hit the dead end in winters and the consumers have to rely on the Liquid Petrobium Gas cylinders.

The compress natural gas used as fuel in cars to improve environment and reduce cost also shuts down for three days  a week during the tight supply months in the most populated areas of Pakistan.

Many of Pakistanis drivers have converted their cards to run on CNG depending on it as a cheaper alternative to petrol and diesel.